


The Keystone Prince

by Katieb161



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Arranged Marriage, Eventual Relationships, Requested fic, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-05 08:14:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,622
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16806850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katieb161/pseuds/Katieb161
Summary: This is my addition of a royalty AU to the fandom. Barry is the Prince of The Keystone Kingdom who is arranged to be married. His father allows him to travel for 3 months to sow his oats before the wedding. Barry hopes he can change the rules when he meets Iris West of Central City.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is the long awaited Royalty AU requested on tumblr by @zzz1247. I am not sure how long this one will get, but will more than likely be about as long as my other fics. I will try to update as often as possible. 
> 
> This fic is set in modern times and I have taken some liberties with geography. I hope you enjoy!!

"You can't be serious?" he asked his father, the king, with a look of disbelief on his face.

"You are 24 now, it is almost time that you marry. I have arranged for the princess of Star City to attend a special ball. It is my hope that you find her suitable for marriage," his father answered.

Barry again protested, "Father, I am not ready to get married, and certainly not with some princess that I have never met. There is so much I would like to do and see, I am not ready to settle down."

"My son, you do not have a choice. This is the last time that I will discuss it with you. Princess Thea will be here at the end of this week, you WILL meet her, you WILL get to know her, and god help me, you WILL marry her!"

Barry stood up as if to challenge his father, but the look on his mother's face said otherwise. He stormed out of the room in a huff and headed out to the garden to clear his head.

"You know Henry, the boy does have a point."

The King looked at his wife befuddled, "And what point would that be?"

"Well, he has spent his whole life in The Keystone. He does have a lot to experience in the world if you expect him to take over this kingdom one day."

Henry thought for a moment about what his wife said. He finally responded, "And what would you have me do? The boy must be married when he turns 25, it's the law."

"There are several months before that happens."

Before the king could respond, his advisor appeared and told him he had an important call. Henry brushed off the conversation for now.

Barry was in the garden sitting by his mother's favorite rose bush when his best friend and bodyguard Cisco appeared. "What's got you so down prince?" he asked him.

Barry looked up and answered, "My father has just informed me that I am to be married soon. Cisco, I really don't want to be married."

"Why are you so against it?"

Barry scoffed, "Would you want to be told who and when you had to marry. I mean I guess I knew it was coming, maybe I thought I could be different. I haven't even seen the world or experienced any woman outside of these borders."

"Barry, you are the heir to a prosperous kingdom, there is no way they would let you skirt the law."

"I guess you're right."

"I'm always right," Cisco smirked.

"There is a ball this weekend where I am supposed to meet my future wife."

"Well my friend, then I say, lets have the best damn time at this ball." Cisco patted Barry on the back as they both walked back towards the castle.

The night of the ball had arrived and it seemed as though the entire kingdom was in attendance. Everyone was aware that Barry would need to be married soon, and they were all a buzz about the arrival of Princess Thea. The higher class guests showed up in limos and their finest designer outfits. The king had spared no expense, passing out glasses of expensive champagne.

Barry was in his room, preparing to go into the grand hall where the party was being held. There was a knock on the door and he turned to see his mother enter. She walked over to him and started to adjust the tie on his tux.  
"You look very handsome tonight son."

"Thanks mom."

"I know you are apprehensive about this whole thing, but promise me you will give it a chance. You never know, you may like this girl."

He looked at his mother with the same sad eyes that he had since his father told him he would be married soon and most likely to a stranger. Nora lightly rubbed his cheek and pulled him in for a motherly hug and they headed downstairs.

When they got to the bottom of the stairs, they were met by the king and announced to all of the guests. The King and Queen settled on their thrones while Barry stood next to them. Once they were in place. The arrival of the princess and her parents was announced.

"Now presenting The King and Queen of Star City and their daughter Princess Thea." The crowd split down the middle to give her room to approach the throne. She slowly walked forward, wearing a beautiful golden dress adorned with hundreds of jewels. Barry was actually impressed. He thought that Thea was very pretty. He was starting to think, maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

When she got to the end of the long walk, she bowed to the king and queen. "Your Highness, it is a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for the invitation."

King Henry stood up and walked down a few steps to get closer to Thea. He took her hand and kissed it lightly. "The pleasure is all mine princess." He turned to Barry and motioned for him to come down as well. "This is my son, Prince Bartholomew."

Barry also took Thea's hand and kissed it. She blushed and smiled at him. "Princess, would you like to accompany me to the garden?"

"I would love that." She took Barry's hand again and was led out of the hall and towards the garden. The King announced that the party could now begin and the music started playing as the guests began to dance.

In the garden, Barry led Thea to a sitting area. He was eager to get to know her. If this was the woman that he would have to marry, he wanted to know everything he could about her. Before he was able to start asking her any questions, she blurted out, "I'm sorry, this is so weird."

He chuckled, "So it's weird for you too?"

"Very. My parents practically dragged me here kicking and screaming. I mean, you seem like a nice guy and all, but I did not think that I would be told who I have to marry."

"Hey, I feel the same way. I have never even left The Keystone before. I just want to see what all is out there in the world."

"Wow, you have been sheltered. Well, if you ever make it out of here, you have to check out Central City. I have never been to such an awesome kingdom. They have the best coffee I've ever had."

"I would love to see it someday." There was a bit of awkward silence. Finally Barry spoke, "Well, if we are destined to be married, I guess we should get to know each other." They sat and talked for several more hours. Barry was starting to like Thea, but he didn't feel any kind of romantic connection to her. He was getting more of a little sister vibe.

Once the ball was over, Barry was called into his father’s office, where he found both of his parents waiting for him.

"So son," the king asked him while pouring himself a drink, "What did you think?"

"The princess was nice and pretty, but I still feel the same way. Father, I am not ready to get married, especially to a woman that you have picked for me."

"Bartholomew, there are not very many royal women out there who are available. Princess Thea would make a great wife."

Barry rolled his eyes, "Maybe, but not for me." He huffed and plopped down on the sofa in the room. "I just wish that I could have one last chance to see the outside of The Keystone."

"So, you want to sow your royal oats huh?" Henry asked.

Nora looked over at her crestfallen son and then to her husband, "That may not be a bad idea. We could let Barry spend a few months in another kingdom before he would have to marry. He would get some worldly experiences and maybe scratch his itch a little."

The king thought about it for a few moments. "Okay, okay, I will give you three months in the kingdom of your choice. After that, you will come home and be married."

Barry's eyes lit up, he couldn't believe that he would get a chance to get out of the Kingdom. "Really?!? Thank you so much father." He ran to the king and gave him a large hug that he was clearly unprepared for.

"You will take Cisco with you, and you will check in with your mother once a week."

"Yes father!" He ran over to his mother and gave her a big hug too. He turned back to his father who gave him a nod as permission to leave. He ran out of the room as fast as he could to find his best friend and give him the good news.  
  
Barry had decided on Central City as the kingdom he wanted to spend his three months in. Cisco was excited too because he had heard so many things about that place. They said goodbye to the king and queen and boarded a private jet, ready to take in a new scene. Barry sat next to the window, looking out of it the whole time, admiring the view. He couldn't believe that his father was allowing him to travel. He hadn't made it known to anyone yet, but he was on a quest to find a wife. He thought maybe if he found someone, his father wouldn't make him marry Princess Thea.

He knew he had to tell Cisco of his plans. "When we get to Central City, I don't want anyone to know that I am a royal. We are just two regular guys who are travelling. Got it?"

"Regular guys huh? Does that mean that we can't stay at the 4 star hotel that I booked for us?"

"That's exactly what it means." Cisco looked extremely disappointed. Barry followed up with, "Perk up man, it's not that bad. Truth be told, I'm looking for a woman, and I want her to like me for me, not for who my family is or how much money I have."

"She probably wouldn't know who you are anyways."

Barry feigned offense, but in all honesty, Cisco was probably right. Barry had never left The Keystone. He wasn't the type to be plastered over all the gossip mags or online blogs. He was certain the only information and pictures that were around of him were the ones the royal council had released. He turned his attention back to the window for the remainder of the trip.

All in all, it took 12 hours and a trip across the pond to get to Central City. Cisco was exhausted from the plane ride, but Barry was excited to see the town. It was still fairly early in the evening and after the checked into an extended stay cheap motel, they headed out.

Their first stop was a club called 'Frost' that was recommended by the front desk lady at the motel. Barry was in awe when they stepped in the place. The music was playing so loud, you could feel the bass in your chest. There was a the smell of sweat and alcohol in the air. He loved it already. It was so different then what he had experienced in The Keystone.

Cisco pulled his attention, "I got us a table over here," he pointed to the empty table. Once they were comfortable, they called over the waitress and ordered a few drinks. Throughout the night, plenty of woman were coming up to them at the table, flirting and in some cases, throwing themselves at them. Cisco seemed to love it, but Barry was a bit turned off.

After a few hours, Barry, disappointed in the evening, was ready to call it a night. They left the club and headed towards the motel. Remembering what Thea said about the great coffee, he decided to head into a coffee shop that they passed. He was surprised to see the place packed at this time of night. He and Cisco maneuvered their way through the crowd of people until they reached the counter where they ordered drinks.

"What's going on here? It seems really busy for almost midnight." Barry asked the barista.

"Oh, we are having a fundraiser for the children's shelter," she answered as she began making their lattes. Once they had their drinks, they looked for a place to sit down. Barry took a sip of his latte and closed his eyes, relishing in the amazing taste. Thea was right about the coffee.

"So, I think tonight was a success, we met a lot of hot girls," Cisco started as he took a sip of his drink.

"Yeah, but they weren't my type, they were all too...aggressive."

"I love aggressive. As a matter of fact, I think that..."

Cisco was talking, but Barry couldn't hear him anymore. His eyes were drawn to the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She had chocolate skin and long dark hair. Her almond shaped eyes fit perfectly on her face with the flawless skin. He watched her walk with a purpose, very confident, yet extremely feminine and sexy. She stopped and greeted a few people with hugs before making her way up to a makeshift stage. She grabbed the mic and looked out into the crowd.

"Thank you all for coming to Jitters tonight for the first annual children's shelter fundraiser. Boy that was a mouthful." They crowd laughed. When Barry began smiling, Cisco realized that he hadn't been paying attention.  
Iris continued, "Central City has hundreds of children who need homes. Until we are able to find loving families for all of them, we still need to house them and feed them, and keep clothes on their backs. The King and Queen have agreed to match all donations made tonight, so please, give as much as you can. Thank You."

Barry was mesmerized by her. She was the woman he spent all evening looking for. She wanted a donation and he was going to give her a hell of one. He looked over at Cisco who knew exactly what that look meant. He reluctantly pulled a wad of cash out of his jacket and put it in one of the baskets that were being passed around the room.

"That was about $50,000 you know," Cisco complained to Barry.

"Don't worry my friend, we won't need it, I told you, we are going to be a couple of normal guys."

Cisco scoffed, "Whatever you say your highness. But I can't help but think you wanted to make this large donation because of her," Cisco nodded his head towards the woman.

Barry smiled and took a sip of his latte. He spent the rest of the night stealing glances at the beautiful stranger. He was far too nervous to approach her. He was a wreck when he saw her making her way over to the table. He watched her greet almost every guest, he must have known she was bound to make her way over to him.

"Hey guys, I'm Iris," she held her hand out for them to shake. When Barry took her hand in his he was surprised how firm, yet how soft hers were. When they pulled apart, there was a small shock between them. Barry had never felt anything like it before. He was lured in by the sound of her voice, like a siren. Now he was able to get a good look at her brown almond eyes and was lost in the light in them, even though they were dark. He still hadn't responded to her introduction. Cisco finally decided to speak for Barry since he clearly had lost his voice.

"I'm Cisco, and this is my friend Barry."

"Thanks for your donations, it means a lot to the kids." She looked right into Barry's eyes and smiled her pearly whites at him. All he could do was smile back. "Well it was nice meeting you guys, enjoy the rest of your night."

She walked away and all Barry could do was stare. Cisco looked at his friend and smirked. This trip just got a whole lot more interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my wonderful beta bwhams!
> 
> A lot of you have recognized the Coming to America vibes, I was inspired by that movie so you will see a lot of similarities or parallels to the movie.
> 
> Thanks for reading!  
> Enjoy!

Barry was barely able to sleep that night. Cisco said it was because of all the sirens going off all night and early morning, but Barry knew better. He couldn't stop thinking about Iris. About how beautiful her smile was and how when they touched, he felt a connection he had never felt before with any other woman. He decided that he wanted to find out more about her. The only thing he knew was that she had a fundraiser at Jitters. He told Cisco to get dressed, they were going out for coffee.

When they arrived at Jitters, there were several people there, but nothing like last night. Walking up to the counter to order, he was surprised to see Iris behind it. She wasn't dressed like a barista, but she was taking orders and making drinks. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her.

He slowly made his way to the counter, almost too shy to speak his order. When Iris looked up and saw him, she plastered one of her big smiles across her face. "I remember you from the fundraiser, Barry right?"

He couldn't believe that she remembered his name. He was too dumbstruck to answer, so he just nodded yes. "You know," she continued, "That we raised over $100,000 for the shelter. Someone actually donated $50,000 in cash. The people of this kingdom have some really big hearts."

Barry smiled and was finally able to squeak out, "Yeah they do."

They looked at each other for a moment before Iris finally said, "So what can I get for you."

"Surprise me."

"Okay, so you are a man that likes adventure I see. Okay, one surprise coming up." She grabbed a large cup and turned around to start making him an americano. "So, you must be new in town, I mean, I've never seen you around before," she asked him.

"Oh, yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck, "My friend and I are hear visiting for a while."

"Really? Where are you guys from?"

"The Keystone."

"Wow, you are pretty far from home. Hope you are enjoying your stay so far." She handed him his coffee with another smile.

"I most definitely am." He took the coffee from her and proceeded to take a big sip, almost forgetting how hot it was. He burned his mouth and was clearly in pain, coughing as he swallowed the hot liquid.

"Oh my god, are you okay Barry?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. This is really good coffee."

"Thanks, it's on the house."

"Thank you Iris." He lingered at the counter for a moment, not wanting to leave her. When she asked him if he needed anything else, he embarrassingly stumbled over a no, walked away from the counter and went to sit at the table that Cisco was already sitting at.

"That wasn't awkward at all," he told Barry. Barry rolled his eyes at Cisco. "You should just ask her out man."

"I...I can't, it would be too weird."

"Weirder than coming to another kingdom to find a wife?"

"Shut up Cisco." Cisco started laughing at his friend.

The two of them sat there for a while, Barry watching Iris, and Cisco watching Barry. Barry had thought about what he said, about asking Iris out. In the Keystone, it was easy dating. He was a prince, no woman ever turned him down. But Iris felt...different.

He watched her take off her apron and exit from behind the counter. He almost thought about walking up to her and talking to her again. Before he had a chance to talk himself into it, he saw an attractive tall man walk into Jitters and right up to Iris, grabbing her from behind. She turned around and smiled. Barry heard her call the guy Scott and reached up to give him a kiss on the lips. Of course she had a boyfriend, she was too gorgeous of a woman not to.

Deflated, he turned to Cisco and gave him a look. Cisco stood up and patted his friend on the back for comfort and they both started to leave. Barry took one last look at Iris, who gave him a wave, before they left the coffee shop.

They decided to check out the kingdom some more. Barry didn't just come to find a wife, he also wanted to see more of the world. They had heard that the kingdom had a pretty good hockey team, so they decided to check out a game later that evening. Little did he know, he was going to run into someone he had been longing to see.  


"I'm telling you, Central City has the best goalie in the game," Cisco was explaining to Barry as they found their seats in the rink. When they got to their seats, there was a bit of a ruckus going on. There was a petite Asian woman with long black hair who was going back and forth with the man in front of her.

"All I am saying is you are pretty tall, if you keep standing up, I'm not going to be able to see," she told the man.

"Fine lady, sheesh," he answered.

"The nerve of some people, right?" she turned to look at Barry, expecting him to agree with her. He just smiled and sat down at his seat. "Don't be scared, I won't bite," she said to him finally sitting down herself. "Linda Park," she held her hand out to shake his.

He took it and introduced himself, "Barry Allen, this is my friend Cisco." Cisco peaked around Barry and waved.

"You from around here? You don't look like you're from around here."

"Ah, no, actually we're from The Keystone."

"The Keystone, then I know your golf game is on point. There isn't much else to do there."

Barry was a bit offended. Even though he hadn't really seen the world, he loved his kingdom. Sure, they focused more on education and the sciences and not so much clubs and partying, but he wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else. He finally responded to her insult, "It sounds like you didn't have the right person to show you around."

"Is that an invitation?" she asked him flirtatiously. Before he could answer, he saw two more women come and sit next to Linda.

"Barry? Cisco?"

"I-Iris? Hi."

"Hey," she greeted back shyly. She looked down and pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"You know these guys?" Linda asked her.

"Yeah, I met them at the fundraiser at Jitters." Iris turned to her other friend, "Cindy, this is Barry and Cisco, guys this is Cindy. Looks like you've already met Linda."

Barry waved. Cisco paid extra attention to Cindy. "We heard that your hockey team was pretty good." Barry started a conversation with the girls. He wanted to get to know Iris, and felt like some of the pressure was now off since there were so many people around.

"They are the best, not just pretty good. I am a sports reporter, so I really understand just how good they are." Linda answered.

"Yeah, Linda is the best at what she does too," Iris added.

Barry liked that she was so complimentary to her friends. "So then you guys go to a lot of sporting events?"

"Yeah, Linda usually drags me and Iris with her, she says she needs her wing men," Cindy added.

"Well, it looks like I may not even need one tonight," Linda said looking directly at Barry.

That seemed to make Iris uncomfortable for some reason, so she hastily changed the subject. "Barry do you play golf?"

"Um, yeah," he cleared his throat, "I love it actually."

"Great! We are having a charity golf tournament this weekend, I would love it if you guys came."

A huge smile crept up on Barry's face, "Yeah! I mean, yes, we would be honored to come."

"Great," Iris smiled at him, pushing that stray hair behind her ear again.

"Great," he answered back.

Cisco could see where this was going and got everyone attention back on the game, "Looks like it's starting."

Barry couldn't help but sneak glances at Iris whenever he could, which was hard because Linda was trying to keep all of his attention on her the whole night. His only saving grace was knowing that he was going to get to see Iris again soon.

The day before the golf tourney, Barry and Cisco went out to buy clubs. Cisco was picking out the most expensive stuff when he got a stern look from Barry. "Normal guys, remember."

"You're no fun Barry!" Cisco put back the expensive stuff and went for the more 'affordable' options. "So do you think Linda is going to be there?"

Barry rolled his eyes. It wasn't that he didn't like Linda, he just didn't like her like that. And she was very aggressive, another thing that Barry didn't care for. "I'm sure she will be."

"So she isn't a contender for a future queen then?"

"She's...not really my type. I'm sure you are hoping that Cindy will be there."

"Ah, Cindy, that woman is a goddess. Maybe we will both find a wife here."

"She's got you thinking marriage already? You barely even talked to her the other night at the game."

"We were sitting too far away. Plus, I think I will have a chance to today."

"Right, well good luck with that."

The next day, they took an Uber to the country club where the golf tournament was being held. When they got there, they went to the table to register. There was a donation required to participate. Barry again left a large amount, but asked that it be given anonymously. Just as they were finishing up, they were greeted by Linda and Cindy.

"Hey guys, glad you came." Cindy said.

"Hi Barry, it's really nice to see you again," Linda licked her lips at Barry.

"Hey Linda," he responded with a small wave. Barry looked up to see Iris approaching with her boyfriend Scott. His eyes lit up when he saw her.

"Hey guys!" she greeted everyone. "Barry, Cisco, glad you made it. This is my boyfriend Scott Evans."

Barry held his hand out towards Scott, who looked down at it and then turned to Iris. "Babe, I'm going to get the cart." He leaned down and gave Iris a kiss on the cheek, looked Barry and Cisco up and down again, and made his way to the golf carts.

"So, did you guys want to join our group?"

"Yeah sure!" Barry was not going to turn down the chance to spend time with Iris.

They made it to the first hole. The guys didn't need to rent a cart because Barry and Linda were going to ride with Iris and Cindy had gotten her own cart to ride with Cisco. Cisco was pumped about that because he finally could get some one on one time with her and get to know her better.

The hole was a Par 4. Scott drove first. He was able to make it just outside of the green. He turned around with an smug look on his face. Barry and Cisco let the girls go next. They were actually surprised that Scott didn't let them go first. Cisco ended up driving his ball just behind Scott's. When it was Barry's turn, he drove the ball onto the green. That elicited a look of impressed from Iris and one of irritation from Scott.

Linda walked up to Barry and patted him on his butt. "Nice job Keystone, I knew you would be good."

Barry just smiled as they piled into the golf cart and made their way to the green. Barry and Cisco got a birdies, while everyone else made Par. It was clear at that point that Scott was going to get competitive during these nine holes. In order to accommodate all of the participants, they were split and half played the front nine and half played the back.

By the time they were on the fourth hole, Scott had tied up the score with Barry. This hole was a Par 5. Scott and Barry both made the green in 2. Scott putted first. He missed the hole by about a foot. When it was time for Barry to putt, Scott started coughing real loud to try to distract him. It didn't work because Barry was able to putt it right into the hole. He ended the hole with an eagle. Scott was not happy.

The game ended with Barry winning by 3 strokes. As they made their way into the clubhouse, Iris made a point to congratulate him. "You are really good. Where did you learn to play like that?"

"Well, golf is kinda, mathematical and I'm good at math."

Scott didn't like Iris being so chummy with this guy. He pulled Iris in close to him and put his hand on her ass. He didn't miss the wishful look on Barry's face. "So basically being a nerd helps you?" Scott chuckled.

"Yeah, I guess so," he answered solemnly.

The group gathered around a table to have lunch. They were all having a nice conversation with each other when Scott turned to mood a bit sour. "So Barry, Where exactly are you from?"

"I was born and raised in The Keystone."

"The Keystone, oh, you really are a nerd. Let me guess, you come from a middle, maybe even lower class family from the looks of your clubs. What kind of work do you do?"

"Um, I work for the Science Guild." He fibbed a bit. The truth was he ran it. Barry was responsible for all of the research and new technologies that were discovered in the kingdom. He may have been a nerd, but he was one of the brightest minds in his hemisphere.

"Figures," Scott insulted.

"Well, I think that is pretty interesting. More exciting then working at a coffee shop." Iris added.

"Babe, you don't just work there, you run the place. My parents know you are the most important person in that place."

Barry got a look of confusion on his face. Iris clarified, "Scott's parents own Jitters. I actually met him when I was just a barista there while in college. When I graduated, his parents promoted me and we started dating."

"So how did you get into charity work?" Cisco asked.

"I dunno, I guess I just wanted to help people. I actually got started while I was in college. Those kids really do mean the world to me."

"That's really admirable Iris," Barry told her.

"Thanks." Just then, Iris got a call from Jitters, there was a coffee related emergency. "Sorry guys, I have to go. Scott can you take me?"

"Why don't you just take an Uber, I want to hang out here for a while."

"Right," Iris did her best to hid her disappointment and embarrassment. "I'll see you guys around." And with that, she was out the door, heading to the parking lot.

Barry wasn't satisfied, he wanted as much time around her as he could get. He was really liking this woman. He didn't have a chance to follow suit because Linda had him cornered and she was coming on very strong. He agreed to go with her, Cindy and Cisco to the movies.

Barry wasn't even paying attention, he was really just sitting there thinking about Iris. All that changed when he felt a hand on his knee. He looked over to see Linda wiggling her eyebrows up and down. She slowly started to move her hand closer up his leg. He started to get extremely uncomfortable and excused himself to the bathroom. Once 20 minutes had passed and he hadn't returned, Cisco went looking for him.

"Dude, I made it to the arm around her shoulder stage with Cindy, you're killing me."

"I can't go back out there, Linda, she's, I just don't want to go back out there."

"Okay fine, I will tell them that you got sick and we had to go. Meet me outside."

"Thanks, Cisco. This is why you are my best friend."

"You better be glad you are a prince, because Cindy is looking so hot right now." Cisco left the bathroom and made his way to tell the girls they were leaving. He wondered if this had anything to do with Iris.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter, but I will have a longer one coming in the next day or two.
> 
> Thanks to my beta bwhams!
> 
> Enjoy  
> xx

Cisco had landed a lunch date with Cindy, so Barry had a few hours to kill. He decided that he would go to his favorite spot. He tried to tell himself it was just for the coffee, but he knew better. He knew that there was a good chance that he might see Iris there. He got himself together and headed downtown to Jitters.

When he exited his Uber, he noticed that Iris and Scott were in the parking lot. It appeared that they were having an argument. Her hands were moving around animated. He could tell that they both had raised voices. He tried to mind his business, but he also wanted to make sure Iris was okay. After a few minutes, Scott walked off in a huff, got into his Mercedes and drove off, leaving Iris just standing there.

Barry felt an instant need to go to her, to make sure she was okay. He slowly made his way over to her. "Iris, are you okay?" he quietly asked her.

She had her back to him. Brushing away any tears that had fallen, she turned around to face him. "Barry, Hey, I'm good. How are you?"

"Well, my friend and your friend are on a date, so I was trying to kill some time."

"Oh that's right, Cisco and Cindy." That sentiment put a smile on her face. Barry was glad to see her smiling again.

"Well, I haven't really explored too much, I was going to walk around downtown. D-did you maybe want to come with me?" Barry took a shot at asking her to spend some time with him.

Iris thought it over for a second and smiled up at him again. "Sure, I can show you some stuff around town."

Barry smiled back as bright as he possibly could, "Yeah, cool. Let's head out then." The two of them started walking down the fairly empty street side by side.

"So what made you decide to come to Central?" she asked him.

"Someone told me you guys had great coffee."

Iris laughed, "You came thousands of miles for coffee."

"I'm glad I did."

He looked down at her. She had never realized before just how tall he was. She was also starting to notice how cute he was. It was very understated, Barry seemed so humble, she liked that about him. She also didn't believe his answer was about the coffee.

They wandered into a park that was in the middle of downtown. There were a few people out with their young children and dogs. People were jogging around the path and sitting on the benches making conversation. Barry thought it was nice. It reminded him of home.

Iris stopped him in front of a statue. "My dad, he worked for the royal guard." Barry's interest started to peak. She continued, "He took his job very seriously. He eventually became King Harrison's personal bodyguard."

"Wow, that is such a great honor."

"It was. I was so proud of him, my mom and brother too." She moved closer to the statue and reached out to touch it. "Then one day, some fool tried to attack the king, and of course my father couldn't ever let anything happen to him. My father took a bullet for this kingdom. The king erected this statue of my dad to remember his bravery."

Barry walked closer to the statue and saw a plaque at the bottom that read, "JOE WEST, Husband, Father, HERO"

"They never did get the nose quite right though," Iris said to Barry through welled up eyes.

"I'm sorry about your father Iris, he seemed like a great man."

"He was." They started walking again. "You know, I kinda lied a little bit to you before."

Barry got a bit nervous, "What kind of lie?"

"Well, when Cisco asked me how I got into charity work, I said I didn't know, but I did. My dad, he died right when I started college. It made me think about what would happen if I had lost both my parents, or if it had happened when I was a young child. I then started to think about how that does happen to young kids and I wanted to do my part to help. I started working at the children's shelter, just here or there when I could. But I fell in love with those kids faces and eventually became more involved. I wish I could do that full time, but I still have bills and taxes to pay."

Barry thought it was really sweet of her. He had never met anyone like Iris. This, this was exactly what he wanted. To find someone on his terms, someone who he could see as his wife, as a queen. It was official, Barry Allen had fallen hard for Iris West.

"So tell me about The Keystone, what's it like there?"

"Well, it's...beautiful. We have a downtown too like Central City, but it's probably the most bustling place in all the kingdom. To the east we have a large forest that leads to the mountains and to the west we have wide open fields full of flowers that lead to our beautiful beaches. It snows every Christmas and the flowers always bloom on time in the spring."

"Wow, that sounds so nice, I hope that maybe one day I can see it."

"Well, if you ever do, I will make sure you see it the way you are supposed to see it. Including the world’s best ice cream."

"Excuse me? I know that is your home and all, but Central City has some ice cream that will knock your socks off."

Barry looked at her skeptically, "I dunno..."

"I'll prove it, come with me." She grabbed his hand before she even realized what she was doing. She looked up into his eyes, "Sorry," she said as she released her grip from him. Suddenly nervous, she looked down, "Um, the ice cream shop is not too far from here."

"Yeah, yeah, let's go."

They got to the ice cream shop and Iris ordered mint chocolate chip on a waffle cone and Barry got chocolate chip cookie dough in a cup. They sat down in the shop to eat their ice cream.

"So what did you study in college?" Barry asked as he took a bite of his ice cream.

"English, I always loved writing. I thought one day I would write my own novel. Something with a princess finding her happily ever after. I know, it sounds kinda cheesy."

"Not at all. Everyone wants a happily ever after. Do you feel like you haven't gotten yours?"

That question made Iris uneasy. Sure she loved Scott, but spending more of her time doing things for other people, she realized just how much he did for himself. They were actually arguing about an upcoming charity gala that Iris had planned. Scott was all for dressing up and showing off, but he made a complaint about always having to give money. It wasn't like he didn't have it, and Iris was becoming more and more turned off at his attitude.  
The only way Iris knew how to answer that question was, "I'm still young and have a lot of life to live."

"Touché."

"So Barry, what do you do at the Science Guild?"

"Well, mostly research, but I like to build things as well. Like we had this project that I worked on where we figured out a way to synthesize garbage into pure hydrogen to use as a fuel source for cars." He excitedly told her.

When she giggled at him, he realized how nerdy he must have sounded. Iris must have taken notice because she reassured him she thought it was adorable how passionate he was about his work.

They sat and talked for almost an hour when Iris noticed the time. She was enjoying his company and didn't want to leave, but she had dinner plans with her mother. They stood outside the ice cream shop waiting to say their goodbyes.

"I really had fun today. Thanks for showing me the town."

"I had fun too Barry. I think it was just what I needed. I hope to see you around Jitters soon."

"You will."

Iris reached up to give him a hug goodbye. She was taken back at how comfortable she felt in his arms. She almost didn't want to part, but she knew she had to. She pulled away from him and looked up into his eyes. "I'll see you around Barry." Something about the way she whispered Barry sent chills down his spine. All he could do was hold up his hand as she turned around and walked away.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta bwhams!
> 
> Enjoy  
> xx

Barry watched Iris walk away more smitten than ever. What they just did, it felt like a date, and he was desperate to do it again. He sent a text to Cisco to meet him when he was done with his date with Cindy.

About an hour later, Cisco showed up to the address that Barry had sent him. It was a jewelry shop. Cisco was confused as to why they were there. "Barry, what are we doing here."

"Well, I may have hung out with Iris today."

"Is that right? What kind of hanging out?"

Barry smiled thinking about his day with Iris, "She showed me around town, then we got ice cream."

"I know it wasn't better than the Mason's family shop in Happy Harbor?"

"Not even close." They both laughed. "But seriously, this girl is amazing. I just want her to have something nice." They headed over to the case displaying earrings. Barry looked them all over before picking out a pair of teardrop diamonds with sapphires on them.

"So you are going to pretend to be a normal guy by buying her a pair of $100,000 earrings."

"Well, it would be weird for me to just give them to her. I will just send her a gift, but I won't tell her they were from me...yet."

Cisco looked at him skeptically and shook his head. Barry completed his transaction. He had the store deliver them to Iris at Jitters with a note that just said 'Thank You'.

The next day, Iris received her package. She couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the earrings. Scott showed up and came into her office shortly after they arrived. Iris of course assumed that he had gotten them for her, as an apology. She ran up to him and planted a huge kiss on his lips.

"So I see you're not mad at me anymore," he told her.

"Not after such a lovely gift." Iris pulled out the box and showed him the earrings. "They are absolutely beautiful, and I forgive you."

Scott wasn't sure where these earring came from, but he was going to take responsibility for them anyways if it meant Iris wasn't mad at him anymore. "Anything for you baby," he leaned down and kissed her again.

"I'm going to wear them to the gala...I can't wait! But I want to properly thank you for these. How about we get out of here?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He took Iris' hand and led her out of Jitters. She was so enthralled with Scott, she didn't even notice Barry. She walked right past him hand in hand with her boyfriend.

Cisco took notice, "Dude, maybe you should have told her you sent the earrings."

Dejected he responded, "Maybe." Barry slunk down in his chair, in a state of disbelief that Scott was going to reap the benefits of his thoughtful gift. Although, he wasn't surprised that he would claim to have bought them, he just seemed like the type. What was interesting to Barry was that Scott didn't seem to question who did.

"So Cindy asked me to be her date to the gala. I think you should come too."

"By myself, I dunno."

"You could always take Linda, I'm sure she would love that."

Barry shuddered at the thought, "I would rather be a third wheel. But, no, you go and have a good time."

"Iris will be there."

"We need to get tux's."

Barry had to make his weekly call to his mother. He had been gone a month now and he was really missing her. He had never been away from home like this before. He pulled out his laptop and prepared to video chat with her. When she picked up, he perked up, missing her smile.

"My beautiful boy, How is everything in Central City?"

"It's been great mom, I am glad I picked Central to come to."

"What have you done this week?"

"Well, Cisco and I checked out a few museums. I tried their ice cream, I can't wait to get back home."

Nora chuckled. Barry looked happy, she hadn't seen that look since he found out he would have to be married. She didn't want to push it, but she had to ask him. "Son, I'm glad you are having fun there, but remember, you have to get down to business when you get back."

"I know mom."

"So then, you are feeling better about getting married?"

Barry thought about Iris being the one to walk down the aisle and become his wife, it brought a small smile to his face. "I'm starting to think it may not be that bad."

Nora had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't talking about Princess Thea. She decided to leave it alone for the moment, she knew he wouldn't be foolish enough to go to Central and fall in love.

"So tell me how it's been at home? How is Dad?"

"Your father is fine. He has been worrying himself sick about the dinner we are hosting for the King and Queen of Gotham."

"You guys are wonderful hosts, it will be fine."

"That's what I keep telling your father, but you know the king."

"Yeah, that I do." They both laughed.

"Okay my little prince, I have to go. I look forward to our call next week. I love you sweet boy."

"I love you too mom." Barry ended the call and closed his laptop. He wasn't sure how he was going to tell his parents that he wanted to marry a common girl. Not that Iris was common, if anything she was one of a kind, but laws dictated that he had to marry a royal. He had to get Iris to fall in love with him first anyways, he would cross that other bridge when he got to it.

Barry decided to let Cisco splurge and rent a town car to take them to the gala. When they arrived to pick up Cindy, Barry was annoyed to see that Linda would be accompanying them as well. He tried his hardest to not seem disappointed, especially when Linda declared that Barry would just have to be her date for the evening. He couldn't say no.

When they walked into the hall, Barry was amazed at how glamorous it was. Iris seemed to always do a really good job when planning these kind of events, and he was really enjoying attending them.  
Linda finally got his attention when she put his arm through his, "How about a drink?"

"S-Sure." Barry led them over to the bar. Linda ordered a martini and Barry a gin and tonic. They stood there at the bar talking. Linda was going on about sports. Barry was half paying attention, but all of it was lost when he looked across the room.

He saw Iris standing there. She was wearing a strapless blue chiffon dress. Her hair was pinned up with a sapphire jewel. She didn't wear any necklace so that the focus wouldn't be taken off of the diamond earrings from Barry she was wearing. He made a smirk to himself when he realized she was wearing them. She looked like she stepped right out of Barry's dreams.

He tried, but he just couldn't stop staring. Linda must have noticed because she put her drink on the bar, grabbed his and did the same and pulled him onto the dance floor. There was a string quartet playing softly as the guests were waltzing.

They began to dance a waltz of their own. Barry looked over and saw that Cisco and Cindy were on the dance floor as well. Linda was impressed that Barry had taken the lead. "Good golfer and good dancer."

Barry blushed a little. As a prince, he had to be well versed in many areas. Knowing how to dance at a ball was one of them. He had been dancing since he was a child. He would have much rather been in the science lab instead of the dance studio, but he was glad he had that training now, he wouldn't want to look silly in front of Iris.

They danced for a few more songs and Barry excused himself to the bathroom. When he walked in, he saw Scott standing at the sink. He looked up from washing his hands, surprised to see Barry. "You just come to town and now you are always popping up, what's up with that?"

Barry tried to brush past him. "Dude, I asked you a question."

Scott didn't know that Martial Arts was also something else the prince had been learning since childhood. Barry remained calm and simply answered, "I'm accompanying Linda tonight."

Scott looked at him suspiciously for a moment. He had it in his mind that Barry may have had a crush on Iris. He decided to push his buttons a little bit. "Iris really loves these things, it's a shame she won't have as much time once we are married. You know, she'll be too busy raising our kids."

Barry started to turn red. Scott didn't miss it. He smiled devilishly at him and left the bathroom. Barry was upset at the thought that Scott would keep Iris away from something she loved. He would never do that to her, or so he thought. But if she were to marry him, she would have to leave Central all together, and he would be making her give up what she loved too.

He finished up in the bathroom and made his way back out to Linda, Cisco and Cindy. He tried to look as normal as possible and not like he was ready to use his skills to put Scott in his place. They all stood together as Iris approached the stage to make a short speech. She held all of Barry's attention. It was then for the first time that night that Linda realized Barry had a thing for Iris.

When Iris finished her speech, she and Scott met up with the rest of the group. "This gala is amazing as always Iris," Cindy complimented.

"Yeah, I think you have out done yourself this time," Linda added.

Before Iris could say anything, Scott pulled her closer to him by the waist and added, "My baby is the best isn't she. I'm glad we are getting engaged, if she can pull this off, she will be a hell of a wife."

Iris choked a bit on her wine she was sipping. "Engaged?"

"Well, you might as well just say we are engaged, I will get around to asking eventually and you will say yes."

"Scott, can I talk you for a moment?" Iris gave him the stare of death. He clearly was unable to read it and joyfully agreed, probably thinking Iris wanted to fool around. He took her hand and she led him outside.

"How about another dance?" Linda asked Barry.

"Absolutely." Barry led Linda back onto the dance floor. He purposefully picked a location near the windows so he could check if he could see Iris outside. They were a bit far from the window, but Barry could see them. He could tell that Iris was extremely upset. She was way more animated than she was the other day. He wished he could make out what they were saying.

Finally Linda had to say something to him. "I know you like her."

Barry turned salmon pink and looked at her, "W-What are you talking about?"

"Iris. I know you like her."

"I-I don't..."

"It's okay Barry. Iris is a great woman. She could do a lot better than Scott."

"Yeah, she could."

"I mean they are technically still together, so I don't know how much of a chance you have, and you live in another hemisphere...but...I'm still rooting for you. You are a great guy Barry. You indulged all my flirting even though you aren't interested."

He smiled at that. He just happened to look up right as Scott was storming back into the hall, heading straight for the coat check. Barry watched as he only retrieved one coat and then headed to the valet. Barry looked back at the door but never saw Iris reenter. Linda must of seen it too because she told Barry to go to her.

Once outside, he saw Iris sitting on a small bench next to some rose bushes. He thought how appropriate it was to be meeting her among a garden of roses. He walked over to her, "You okay?"

She looked up with tear stained cheeks, fresh ones threatening to fall. Barry reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her. "Thanks," Iris told him. She started to rub her bare arms. It was winter in Central City, he knew she was probably freezing. He took his suit jacket off and placed it around her shoulders without even asking her. Looking up and smiling at him she patted the bench for him to sit down with her.

"I'm sorry I just ran out like that, I just..."

"I understand."

"I don't think you do. I mean, how can someone just tell you when and who you are going to marry?"

Barry scoffed at the notion, he understood all too well. "So you don't want to get married?"

"I mean, one day...to the right person. For a while now, I was thinking that Scott may not be the right one. He certainly confirmed my suspicions tonight. I told him that I didn't think we should see each other anymore."

Barry perked up a little bit, he tried not to seem so excited at the news, but he would now be free to pursue Iris fully and not feel bad about it. He put on his most empathetic face, "I'm sorry Iris."

"You know, I'm not," she said with a smile, "C'mon, it's too cold out here, let's go back inside." She grabbed his hand, this time not so quick to let it go, and led them back into the hall to enjoy the rest of the gala.

When the night came to an end, the guys decided to let the town car take the girls home and they would take an Uber. While saying their goodbyes Barry gave Cisco an impressed look when he saw the kiss that Cindy planted on him. Linda came up and gave him a hug whispering in his ear "Good Luck."

When it came time to say goodnight to Iris, all of a sudden they were both so shy. Finally she came closer to him and pulled him in for a hug, she placed a chaste peck on his cheek, leaving a print of her red cherry lipstick on the side of his face. "Thank you Barry…for coming tonight. I hope I see you again soon."

"You will," he told her as he watched them all pile into the back of the town car. Barry and Iris watched each other until the car finally pulled away. He turned to Cisco one they were out of sight. "I think I may be in love with that woman."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta bwhams!
> 
> Enjoy!!  
> XX

Barry had shown up to Jitters everyday since the gala. To most, it would have looked a little stalkerish, however the look on Iris' face whenever she would see him said otherwise. He'd sit at a table in the back of the shop for hours. Sometimes she would be sitting right there with him, just talking and getting to know each other. He was supposed to be exploring, but all he wanted to do was be around her.

Finally after a week of doing this, Iris made a suggestion as they were having their morning coffee together. "So listen, as much as I enjoy your company sitting at Jitters everyday, I wouldn't mind seeing you outside of this place too."

He gave her a wide smile, "What did you have in mind?"

"It's a surprise."

"Oh yeah, and when will I get to see what this surprise is?"

"In about 20 minutes," she looked down at her watch,"Actually, we better get out of here now." Iris grabbed Barry's hand again. Since that night at the gala, she would keep finding ways to hold his hand. She hoped he didn't think it was odd, she just liked the way her hand felt in his. She led him to the parking lot and to her car. They both got in laughing and she pulled off. Neither of them noticed Scott was watching.

When they got to the destination, Barry recognized it as the rink that they watched the hockey game at. "Are we here to see another game?" he asked her.

"Not quite." They made their way into the rink and Barry finally realized what they were doing.

"Ice skating?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun. And you see all the kids out on the ice? Those are my kids, from the shelter."

It warmed his heart to know that Iris trusted him with her kids. They both went to get skates from the rental booth and headed out onto the ice. Barry had been ice skating once or twice before, but he wasn't going to make a living out of it. Iris on the other hand had been skating since she was a little girl. She took his hand leading him while they were skating.

They held hands as they sped around the ice. A few times, Barry started to lose his balance, but Iris was right there to hold him up. He liked the feeling of her hands holding on to his waist. He may have purposely lost his balance a couple more times.

A few times during their laps around the rink, some of the kids came up to Iris, excitedly saying hi or showing off their moves. She never seemed irritated and was very engaged with the kids. Barry loved seeing that side of her.

After a while, Barry could tell that Iris was getting a little cold. He offered to brave the long snack bar line to get some hot chocolate. He left the ice and headed for the line. Iris stayed on the ice a little bit longer, skating around with a group of kids. It was like they all flocked to her. It made her even more sexy to him.

Finally with two hot chocolates in hand, he made his way to the bleachers and sat down, just watching her. He was a bit stunned when he saw her gracefully skate to the middle of the rink and start doing spins and jumps. He watched her in awe until she realized he was. She headed off the ice and went to sit with him on the bleachers.

He handed her the hot chocolate, "Iris, that was amazing, where did you learn to do that?"

"When I was a little girl, there was a pond behind my house that would freeze over every winter. My dad used to take me out there. I remember seeing a girl do it at an ice show one time, so when I would go out with my dad, I would practice. I guess when I was a little girl, I wanted to be an ice skating queen when I grew up."

'She wanted to be a queen, that's a good sign,' Barry thought. "Well, I think you would have been the best."

She smiled at him in response. A group of kids came up to the two of them and surrounded them on the bleachers.

"Miss Iris, do you think you could teach me how to skate like that?"

"Of course," she told the little girl.

"When I grow up, I want to be a skater."

"Well, you can be whatever you put your mind to," Barry told her.

"Miss Iris, is this your boyfriend?" another little girl asked.

Barry and Iris looked at each other for a moment. Iris eventually answered, "Well, he is a boy and he is my friend, so you could say that."

"Good save," he told her.

"Well, I like him," the girl told Iris.

"Me too," she said looking up at Barry and smiling.

After their time at the rink, Barry accompanied them all back to the shelter. However, it didn't look like a typical shelter did. They pulled up to a large white house with tall pillars in the front. There was also a huge front and back yard where the kids were able to play. When they walked in, he was in awe of how beautifully decorated it was.

"This place is amazing!" he exclaimed.

"Thanks. You should have seen it when we first bought it. It was run down and dilapidated. That's part of the reason I hold so many fundraisers. It takes a lot to make these kids feel like they have a home."

"You have done a wonderful job at that."

"I hope so. I just wish I could get them all placed with loving families."

"It seems like they consider you family."

Iris smiled, "Yeah? I think of them as my family too. Now we have to get dinner prepared for them, are you up to the task?"

"Lead the way."

They both headed into the large kitchen. They had to prepare a meal for about 50 kids. Tonight was spaghetti night. Luckily it was something easy because Barry had never prepared as much as a sandwich for himself. He liked watching Iris take control in the kitchen. If she became his wife, she would never have to do this again, but he would never make her stop if she didn't want to.

"Can you chop onions?"

"Sure! Whatever you need Iris." Barry walked over to where the onions and knife were and got started. He stopped when he heard Iris giggling at him. "What?"

"You've never chopped onions before have you?"

"What gave it away?"

"Well for one, you have to take the brown layer off first. Also, you should probably use a cutting board as well."

Barry had a look of confusion on his face. Iris giggled at him again, "Move over, I'll show you how to do it."

And so they spent the next hour side by side, preparing dinner for a house full of children and Barry loved every second of it. He was proud of himself when everything was done and ready to be set out on the tables.

The kids seemed to really enjoy the food. Once dinner was over, Barry and Iris cleaned the kitchen together. He may not have been able to cook, but he did know how to wash dishes. That used to be his punishment as a child when he skipped out on his least favorite subjects in school.

He must have put too much soap in the water, because within a few minutes of filling the sink, it was overflowing with bubbles. Iris grabbed a handful of the bubbles and blew them into Barry's face.

"Oh you want to play?" he asked her as he grabbed some himself and blew them right back at her. The bubble fight slowly turned into a water fight with Iris pulling out the hose attached to the sink and spraying Barry. He came after her and she started to run around the kitchen island, trying to escape. It was no use because he was able to catch her.

They stood there, Iris wrapped in his arms. The giggling between the two of them subdued and they were left staring into each other’s eyes. Barry couldn't bear it anymore, he needed to know what her lips felt like. He slowly leaned down and brushed his lips against hers. He didn't want to come on to strong or make Iris uncomfortable.

He pulled away enough to look at her, trying to gauge how she felt about the situation. He was able to look at her only for a split second because she put her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. This time she parted her lips and allowed his tongue to enter her mouth. They stood there for a moment, wrapped in each other’s arms, kissing each other like they may never get a chance to again.

This time when Barry pulled away, she let him, reluctantly. "That was nice," he told her.

"Yeah it was." Just then, one of the kids came into the kitchen and asked if they could read them a story before bed. They created a little more space between the two of them and Iris told the little boy that they would love to read a story to them.

The night ended with Iris dropping Barry off at his motel. She said it would be stupid for her to take him to Jitters and then making him find his way home. They sat in the car for a few minutes once she pulled into the parking lot.

"Today was a lot of fun," she told him.

"It was. I was wondering if...if maybe you...wanted to go on a real date...with me."

"I would love to go out with you Barry."

"Really?"

"Don't act so surprised. You are a great guy Barr."

"Well, since I am feeling extra invincible right now, could I maybe...kiss you again?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Iris leaned over and met him half way. The both tilted their heads and leaned in for another earth shattering kiss. They stayed like that for about five minutes until Barry broke the kiss.

"I'll see you at Jitters tomorrow?" He asked her.

"I can't wait."

Barry walked into the motel room with an extra pep in his step. Cisco was still up and took notice, "Good day?"

"Great day. I have a date with Iris! Isn't that wonderful."

"Isn't that what you were doing already with her?"

"Technically no, but it has felt like that the last few weeks. Today was magical, and I finally got to kiss her, and it was perfect."

"Barry, we need to talk," Cisco told him, uneasy about where this conversation was going to go.

"Talk about what?" he asked confused.

"Talk about you and her. Don't get me wrong, I am ecstatic that you have found someone and you're happy...but do you really think this is going to work out in the end?"

"Cisco-"

"I mean it Barry. What is the king going to say? And do you really believe that she is just going to pick up her clearly full life and run off into the sunset with you? You haven't even told her who you really are."

"You don't think I have thought about all this. I don't care Cisco, I have to try, I love this woman."

"You keep saying that, do you even really know her?"

"I know her enough to love her. Plus, what about you and Cindy?"

"I'll probably never see her again after this trip, but I knew that going in to it, we're just having fun."

"So you're allowed to have fun and I just am supposed to...what?"

"Not get hurt. Barry, you're my best friend and I care about you, I just don't want to see you hurt."

"I'll be fine Cisco."

"I hope so." Cisco got up and went into his room, closing the door behind him.

Barry knew he had a point even though he didn't want to admit it. What if Iris didn't want to go back to Keystone with him. Would he stay? Would he give up his throne and a chance to be King for love? Any sane man would say no, but he seemed to be making rash and crazy decisions when it came to her. He really wanted to talk to his mother about it, but wasn't sure how she would take the news. He decided to call her tomorrow, for now, he went to bed, thinking about where he was going to take Iris for their real date.


End file.
